Media Contact

Find us

Giving

Stay in Touch

Film: Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Event Start Date

Thursday, December 3, 2009Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, room 102

Event Start Time

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Message

"Uplifting, disheartening, inspiring, enraging — the mind reels while watching the documentary 'Pray the Devil Back to Hell,' even as the eyes water, the temples pound and the body trembles. Directed by Gini Reticker and produced by Abigail E. Disney, this no-frills, no-nonsense inquiry into human beings at their absolute worst and heartening best charts the overlooked victory of the Liberian women’s peace movement. Even those who think they know the story of modern Liberia may be surprised at what they discover. Largely pieced together from archival images — including some scenes of deeply disturbing violence — news reports and talking-head interviews, the movie takes off in 2003, when a group of Liberian women pushed their peacemaking tactics into a far more aggressive, confrontational register. Founded by freed American slaves in 1847, the country had spiraled into unfathomable chaos after years of civil war. The former warlord turned president, Charles Taylor, was fending off competing rebel leaders who, using child soldiers armed with Kalashnikovs and zonked out on drugs, were steadily bleeding Liberia to death. Putting aside their religious differences, Christian and Muslim women decided to fight the murderers with peace." — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Professors Norton (PS/IR) and Sundmacher (English) will be hosting this viewing and pizza will precede the movie; a short discussion will follow. Please join us for an evening of conversation about international politics and social action. RSVP to kdelongpre@sandiego.edu by December 1 so we can buy enough pizza.